Group Bursar

We are looking to recruit a Group Bursar to work in our Head Office in Loughton, Essex within a group of private schools.

The Group Bursar is part of the Oak-Tree Group Leadership Team part-responsible for the day-to-day, non-academic operation of the Group and responsible for the conduct of the Group’s financial affairs. The Group Bursar will lead a non-teaching team including accounts, personnel, office administration, IT, cleaning and catering.

This is a full time position with the ‘core’ hours of 8am until 4.45pm daily at the Head Office building in Loughton. The role comes with a holiday entitlement of 25 days bank holidays and is to start in January 2026.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Finance and Accountancy:

• To advise on general financial policy within the Group.
• To prepare financial appraisals for projects as they arise.
• To oversee departmental budgets within each school.
• To monitor income and expenditure in relation to departmental/school budgets.
• To oversee the costs of trips, events and workshops, and ensuring expenditure is covered by fees charged.
• To oversee the preparation of monthly management accounts and analysis.
• To update and maintain the rolling cash flow forecasts and KPIs.
• To liaise with the Group’s auditors in the preparation of the annual audit for the statutory Accounts.
• To secure funds and grants to which the Group may be entitled.
• To collect and process money from any fund raising activities.
• To liaise with the Group’s bankers as required.
• To monitor the Barclaycard and Amex transactions to check for changes in charges.
• To assist with VAT and other taxation matters as required.

School Fees Administration:

• To oversee the preparation of termly and other invoices.
• To ensure that all information is provided promptly for inclusion in fee invoices.
• To liaise with School Fee Plan as an appointed agent to spread evenly the payment of termly invoices if required.
• To oversee the collection of all school fees, including to manage the collection of any late payment of fees.
• To handle parental queries on invoices.
• To manage debtors and oversee monthly collection schemes.
• To administer the bursary system for parents needing temporary financial assistance, including undertaking assessments of parents’ income and assets.
• To conduct an annual fees review and publish increases to parents.
• To monitor the collection of fees against cash flow forecasts.

Purchase Ledger Administration:

• To monitor income and expenditure in relation to departmental and school budgets as agreed.
• To scrutinise, query and pass for payment to the Accounts Department all purchase ledger invoices received .
• To oversee the timely processing of purchase ledger payments, and the reconciliation of accounts in Sage.

Payroll Administration:

• To prepare the monthly payroll for each school/Group staff and prepare BACS payments.
• To ensure the production and distribution of e-pay slips through Sage Payroll.
• To administer the monthly PAYE/NIC payments and the Group pension scheme .
• To oversee the collation, approval and application of claim forms.
• To oversee the recording of sickness absence and monitor when any member of staff goes over their limit.
• To oversee the annual salary review and ensure new annual salary information is communicated to all staff.

Personnel Management:

• To ensure compliance with all relevant aspects of employment law.
• To act as the Group’s adviser on employment matters.
• To liaise with the Group’s external advisers on personnel matters as required.
• To ensure that all new staff are issued with contracts of employment and offer letters setting out terms of employment, and that full employment checks are carried out prior to confirmation of employment, and to maintain the Single Central Record.
• To assist with the supervision and management of all staff, including for any welfare needs.
• To conduct appraisals as required.
• To conduct staff disciplinary or capability meetings and investigations as required.

Systems Management:

• To liaise with TES regarding accounting systems required for the Engage Management of Information System.
• To liaise with Sage regarding accounting systems required for Sage Accounts and Sage Payroll.
• To liaise with Cleverbox, regarding the credit card facility embedded into the Group’s website.
• To liaise with Phoenix regarding the administration of staff pensions.

General Management and Administration:

• To play a role in the marketing and development of the Group.
• To represent each school and the Group at Bursar’s local and national forums as required.
• To deal with each school’s rating assessment for business rates and liaise with external companies to process appeals as required.
• To liaise with the school’s insurance brokers for the annual review to ensure that adequate cover is in place for all areas, and as required to process claims and make additions to the various policies.
• To supervise the catering budget and catering operation.
• To manage any letting of school premises.
• To liaise with statutory authorities, including the FCA, as required.

Person Specification

Essential:

• ACA/ACCA or equivalent accountancy qualification fully qualified or near-fully qualified.
• Extensive knowledge of local laws, taxes, licenses, finance and accounting practices and procedures.
• Experience in a finance environment working with management accounts and accounting practices.
• Knowledge of accounting systems.
• Advanced MS Excel skills.
• Experience managing teams of people.
• Experience working with payroll systems.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Exceptional financial and analytical skills
• Excellent level of attention to detail.
• Understanding of data privacy requirements.
• Clear demonstration of honesty, integrity, reliability and confidentiality.
• The ability to prioritise own workload and multitask.
• The flexibility to work additional hours at peak times and not to ‘clock watch’.

Desirable:

• Advanced knowledge of Sage Accounts/Payroll
• Proven leadership skills.
• Accounting/finance degree.
• Previous experience working with credit control.